


The Monster

by Lady_of_Rohan



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Fear, Gen, Injury, Loss of Control, Partnership
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 07:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6793069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Rohan/pseuds/Lady_of_Rohan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two times he's fought it off, but he can't always be so strong. What's worse than losing control? Joseph soon finds out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Monster

**Author's Note:**

> I was going through my WIP files, trying to clear them out, and I found this piece. I guess you could call it vent writing, as I picked at it here and there during particularly difficult times. I figured I'd touch it up a bit and share as a form of catharsis.

  
There's a monster inside of him, and they both know that it's only a matter of time.  
  
 _Pulling, biting, clawing._   
  
It starts with a familiar warmth dripping from Joseph's nose, that telltale sign that he's grown to fearfully anticipate. A gloved hand quickly wipes the offending crimson away, smelling the sharpness of iron, and he believes that he has it under control. More importantly, Sebastian doesn't seem to notice.   
  
He wonders if it's the worst of it... eyes warily trained upon his partner's broad-shouldered form just ahead of him as they traverse the facility's twisted innards. But of course, he should know better by now.   
  
Joseph stumbles as he's overcome by a coughing fit, a faint tickling in his throat that soon grows into something more ominous. Lungs unable to fill properly, he feels like his airways are closing up. Joseph doubles over as he wheezes and gasps for air, immediately alerting Sebastian's attention.  
  
"Joseph! Are you all right?" Husky voice laced with concern, he instantly pauses and turns to regard him.  
  
"Seb... _run_." The words are choked as Joseph tastes bile and the metallic tang of blood at the back of his throat. He coughs again, and his palm displays bright red spatter issued from his mouth, shining sickly against black leather.  
  
But Sebastian doesn't budge, even though Joseph wants it more than anything in the world. To keep him safe from himself. Instead, the older man shakes his head determinedly, his confident footsteps drawing nearer.   
  
"Joseph, listen to me. You can fight it.'"  
  
"Seb, _please_ ," he begs in between painful coughs that wrack his body, his hands upon his wobbling knees. He is barely holding it together. "Don't."  
  
 _Ripping, tearing, feeding._  
  
His head is splitting open from the inside out, like a melon being crushed beneath the weight of a sledgehammer. Inside his skull is a buzzing noise like he's been plugged into an electrical outlet, shocking him incessantly. As Joseph screams, the pain nearly unbearable, he doesn't notice Sebastian moving closer.   
  
When the wave of agony passes, he can see that his partner is raising his arms out in front of him as if he's approaching a frightened, wounded animal that might lash out at any given moment.   
  
"You're gonna be all right..."  
  
He closes that space between them, and Joseph is vaguely aware of the warmth of Seb's palms upon his shoulders as their eyes meet.   
  
"Stay back! Seb, you don't understand... I can't control it!"  
  
"God _damn it_ , Joseph," Sebastian shakes him as Joseph's vision begins to blur, and his features are pained, but sincere. "Yes you can!"  
  
He wants to push him away, but he doesn't have to. It's already too late.  
  
The both hold their heads as that ear-splitting racket feels as if it's going to tear him apart from the inside out. That infernal noise gets louder, and he knows that it's happening to Sebastian, too... but Sebastian has more willpower, and he has never seen him turn.  
  
 _Gnawing, scratching, scraping._  
  
It is eating him alive, and it wants to be reborn. Even more terrifying, he realizes that he _wants_ to let it.  
  
Against his will, Joseph gives in... feels it take over as power courses through his veins. Another terrorized scream rips forth from his lungs, and he is no longer himself as he feels his body changing. It's barely perceptible, but it's there... and it's powerful and overwhelming as it swallows him whole.   
  
_Morphing, clinging, biting._  
  
He has one last look at Sebastian, who's already in a defensive stance. He sees his partner mouth a frustrated "No." The last thing he recalls is lunging at him, a moment of blinding, mind-shattering pain... then complete and utter blackness.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
When Joseph wakes up, the first thing he registers is the throbbing in his skull, making his head feel heavy, and his stomach nauseous. With vision hazy as he exhales a miserable groan, his body feels as if it's been smashed in by a two-by-four. He is sitting on the ground, his back against the wall and his arms behind him... and for some reason, he can't move his arms.   
  
When he attempts to move them, leaning his body forward, the familiar clank of metal around his wrists is a clue as to what's happened. He's been cuffed. Head tilting back against the wall, his dry lips are parted as he attempts to make sense of what occurred before he blacked out. To his surprise, a warm wetness drips down his forehead and down the curve of his brow, and he blinks a few times to prevent it from leaking into his eye. As he squirms in discomfort, unsure of what to make of this, he sees Sebastian enter his periphery.  
  
The wounded expression upon his partner's handsome features is far more hurtful than any physical ailment.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sebastian says, crossing the space between them and kneeling down beside him. His amber eyes are alert and clear. "I didn't know what else to do."  
  
He reaches out, looking hesitant to un-cuff him. Instead of reaching behind him, Sebastian brings his fingertips to lightly brush against Joseph's hairline, pushing a few errant strands of hair across his forehead.   
  
"You okay? That's bleeding more than I thought it would." He leans forward, pressing the heat of his palm to his forehead, as if he's checking his temperature, but Joseph knows that he's stanching the flow of blood from the wound.   
  
Though Sebastian doesn't outright say it, a sharp wit, and years on the force make it easy to puzzle-piece the situation together. Sebastian had knocked him out cold. The growing lump is definitely tender, but the dull ache is lessened by his partner's touch, as he looks sidelong at him.  
  
"Yeah... I'm fine..." he lies, not even quite sure how to process all of this. "Are you--?"  
  
Joseph trails off, noticing that Sebastian's shirt collar is opened just enough to see the red and inflamed circular mark upon his neck. The teeth-impressions are glaring, and Sebastian catches his stare, immediately bringing his opposite hand to adjust his collar and cover it up.  
  
" _Seb_..." Joseph's eyes are wide in disbelief, and watery with soul-deep regret. He shakes his head, causing Sebastian's pressure against his forehead to cease as he retreats his hand. "I _didn't_... did I--?"  
  
Sebastian gives a slow, solemn nod, gaze cast to the filthy floor instead of his partner's bloodied features.   
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Jesus, Seb... are you... all right? I'm... so sorry."   
  
The apology is lame upon his lips, pathetic and unworthy.  
  
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," Sebastian replies, and his gruff and hardened exterior is apparent again, those walls built up, impenetrable. "We should be focusing on getting you out of here."   
  
Joseph feels a fierce pang of guilt that Sebastian is making it about him, but then again, why shouldn't he? Sebastian isn't the one turning, giving in, and putting their lives at stake. No, this is all his own doing. He should be stronger than this.  
  
 Sebastian moves to gently maneuver Joseph with a hand upon his shoulder, urging him to lean forward to allow access to his hands as he fiddles with the key in the handcuffs, and Joseph hangs his head.   
  
This shouldn't have happened. How could he have given in, lost control so easily?   
  
A few more moments, and Joseph's hands are free, though he has never felt more bound. Acting almost as if nothing of such direness had transpired between them, Sebastian puts away his handcuffs, and then grabs Joseph beneath one arm to tug him swiftly to his feet. Shakily, Joseph's limbs are barely working again, and he absentmindedly rubs at his wrists where the metal of the handcuffs pressed into him. Sebastian is already pacing forward through the nightmarish corridors, taking a few long-legged strides towards the nearest exit.  
  
Joseph knows that his partner is doing his best to put on an unaffected facade, probably more for his sake than Sebastian's, but it doesn't take much to feel that suffocating air between them, to realize that things won't be the same from here on out.  
  
Falling into step behind him, as he often does, he notices as Sebastian casts a wary glance over his shoulder at him, just to be sure. It's subtle, but Joseph can tell.    
  
His partner seems fearful, feels the need to watch his back, and Joseph doesn't blame him.  
  
Neither of them know when the monster will beg to be unleashed, or the damage it will cause.  
  
All they can do is wait, and waiting is the hardest part.


End file.
